mountains

Over the past couple of weeks, I have explored some new nooks n’ crannies here in Southern California. Specifically, I saw Potato Chip Rock and San Juan Capistrano!

I experienced the former because I had friends visiting from Nebraska. You would think that visitors from the landlocked Midwest would want to see the beach in the dead of summer, but no! These athletic types wanted a hike..and a challenging hike, to boot. I had long wondered about Potato Chip Rock, but I will admit that I had no idea how strenuous it was actually going to be. Let’s just say that climbing 1100 feet into the air (and 2 miles of actual feet on the ground) was more than I bargained for, particularly under a full sun bearing down at 90 degrees. Continue reading →

Okinawa is known for its plethora of flower festivals in the first half of the year. It seems odd to be frolicking in blooming fields and strolling among blossoming trees in January and February, but that’s what I’ve been doing lately!

Here are a few favorite captures of my sister’s beautiful wedding in the mountains of Breckenridge, Colorado. Bonni & Allison got married in a charmingly rustic little spot called the Bear Cabin (Bonni loves bears!) The wedding party (and significant others) all got to stay overnight, and it was so adorable and cozy. We had such a great time, even if we were too tired to use the hot tub and the fire pit after setting up for wedding day 🙂 The rehearsal dinner was held in darling downtown Breck, which seriously looked like a Bavarian Christmas village or something. Super cute!

The wedding was mostly DIY, so I was very impressed with how beautifully it all came together (I seriously lack creative skills.) Bonni and Allison were gorgeous and graceful hostesses. The ceremony was spiritual and emotional, and the gathering was intimate. Given the less traditional, or “controversial” nature of this particular wedding, it was so touching to see the outpouring of love for these two. It has been a struggle to get where we are today, and there is still more to be accomplished, but it was awesome to see so much genuine support in one room…

Also, the state of Colorado is absolutely stunning. I loved driving up the mountains and taking in the views. On our way back, Chuck and I hit some pretty bad storms (snow, lightening, hail, heavy rain, wind gusts), which would have been equally as incredible if it hadn’t delayed our progress by over an hour, making us stress and scramble to get to the airport on time. We made it with literally 3 minutes to spare before they closed check-in… it was quite the adventure!!

Oh, and I saw a moose. A HUGE bull moose. My trip to CO just wouldn’t have been complete without such a sighting!

This past weekend, Chuck and I went to Charlottesville – home of Monticello and the University of Virginia – to join some friends and family for Top of the Hops Beer Festival. Although the festival was a great time, I am not particularly a fan of beer, so we made it a point to go apple picking as well.

It turned out to be the most beautiful weekend, and we got to roam apple orchards and farmer’s markets in warm golden sunshine. We were able to picnic alongside old Virginian architecture and browse the orchard’s country shop. It’s fun to go back to my “home state” and get a taste of mountains and hills in comparison to the endless flat land of Coastal Carolina!

As I type, I’m actually enjoying one of the crisp, juicy apples that I hand-picked myself. We got so many – I’ll have to make a cinnamon apple crisp this weekend! Yummm. 🙂